Related: GM Confirms EV Hummer
General Motors’ New EV Platform Will Support Fleet Vehicles
General Motors will be utilizing a new flexible, global EV platform to support future products, including fleet vehicles, which will powered by new Ultium proprietary batteries that will offer energy options ranging from 50 to 200 kWh.

General Motors reveals its all-new modular platform and battery system, Ultium, at the Design Dome on the GM Tech Center campus in Warren, Michigan.
Photo courtesy of Steve Fecht via General Motors.
General Motors will be utilizing a new flexible, global EV platform to support future products, including fleet vehicles, and will powered by new Ultium proprietary batteries that will offer energy options ranging from 50 to 200 kWh.
The new Ultium batteries will be available on products across all its brands, and offers large-format, pouch-style cells that can be stacked vertically or horizontally inside the battery pack, which allows engineers to optimize battery energy storage and layout for each vehicle design, General Motors said.
GM added that its all-new global platform is flexible enough to build a wide range of trucks, SUVs, crossovers, cars, and commercial vehicles with a focus on design, performance, packaging, range, and affordability.
The available energy options could enable a GM-estimated range up to 400 miles or more on a full charge with 0 to 60 mph acceleration as low as 3 seconds. Motors designed in-house will support front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive and performance all-wheel drive applications.
Ultium-powered EVs are designed for Level 2 and DC fast charging, the automaker said. Most will have 400-volt battery packs and up to 200 kW fast-charging capability while its truck platform will have 800-volt battery packs and 350 kW fast-charging capability.
The Cruise Origin, a self-driving EV, was the first product revealed using GM’s third generation EV platform and Ultium batteries. The next product utilizing this technology will be the Cadillac Lyriq luxury SUV in April. The reveal of the Ultium-powered GMC Hummer EV will follow on May 20. Production of the vehicles is expected to begin in Fall 2021 at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, which is totally dedicated to EV production.
The automaker also said that its joint venture with LG Chem will drive battery cell costs below $100/kWh. This is because the cells use a proprietary low cobalt chemistry and ongoing technological and manufacturing breakthroughs will drive costs even lower.
GM said it plans 19 different battery and drive unit configurations initially, compared with 550 internal combustion powertrain combinations available today.
The automaker also revealed that Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick will be launching new EVs in 2020, starting with a new version of the Bolt EV later this year. This will be followed by the 2022 Bolt EUV, launching Summer 2021. The Bolt EUV will be the first vehicle outside of the Cadillac brand to feature Super Cruise, the company’s hands-free driving technology, which GM will expand to 22 vehicles by 2023, including 10 by next year.
More Green Fleet

Inspiration Mobility Acquires Key Electrada Assets
Inspiration Mobility Group has acquired select assets of Electrada, adding the fleet electrification provider's team, technology, and charging infrastructure development capabilities to its energy management business.
Read More →
Turning Connected Vehicle Data Into Decisions That Matter
Fleet leaders have more data than ever, but turning that data into clear, actionable decisions remains a challenge. This white paper shows how leading organizations are using connected vehicle data to improve safety, reduce costs, and optimize fleet performance. Learn how to turn insight into action across your fleet.
Read More →Are You Tracking Your Fleet's True Total Cost of Ownership?
Bobit Business Media surveyed 190 fleet professionals and found that while most fleets are tracking costs, fragmented systems and data gaps are keeping true TCO visibility out of reach. With rising pressure to control spend in an increasingly volatile environment, the gap between what fleets think they know and what the data actually shows is wider than you might expect. See how your peers are managing costs today and where the industry still has room to improve.
Read More →
Hybrids: Electrification Without the Challenges
For fleet managers, fuel is one of the biggest line items in the budget — and it's one hybrids can shrink without changing how your people work. Download the eBook to see the numbers, understand the technology, and get a step-by-step guide to making the switch.
Read More →
Startup ZMD Motors Developing Electric Conversion for Ram 5500 Work Trucks
Detroit-based company says it has begun early development of a system to convert internal combustion Ram 5500 chassis-cab trucks to electric power.
Read More →
U.S. EV Adoption Is Climbing, but Commercial and Passenger Markets Diverge
New industry group data revealed that light-duty electric vehicle sales are hitting record market share and volumes, while commercial EV volume dipped. What’s driving the fluctuations?
Read More →
How To Upfit Electric Work Trucks and Vans
The biggest challenge lies in balancing additional equipment and accessories with EV battery capacity and range.
Read More →
How Fleets Can Adjust Approaches To EV Adoption
With the expiration of federal incentives, EV success now hinges less on government policy and more on discounts, battery tech progress, increased range, and broader infrastructure.
Read More →
Despite World Troubles, Forward Thinking Guides Fleets
Fleet operators shared their challenges during an annual conference that embraced the latest advances across all aspects of running private- and public-sector vehicles.
Read More →
GM Energy Details Partnerships and Targets for Public Charging Build-Out
EVgo, Pilot, ChargePoint and IONNA named; goal is 35k GM-invested DC stalls by 2030, with customer-experience upgrades at sites.
Read More →